Arhar

(text provided by the East Kazakhstan Regional
Museum of Local Lore)

It happened many years ago. One day, the sun was swallowed by an ice snake that flew in from the north, huge as a cloud. It got cold. Mountains, rivers, lakes were covered with ice. Almost all the animals died, and those that survived went to sea. The surviving people, in order not to freeze, burned bonfires in caves for days. Everyone was afraid of the snake. And only argali was not afraid of him. He climbed the highest mountain where the ice serpent lived, and for three days and three nights he fought him to the death. And he won. With his sturdy hooves, he ripped open the snake’s belly. The sun rolled out. But it was so weak that it could not rise into the sky. And then argali faked him with his horns and threw him above the clouds. The snow and ice melted, and the departed animals returned to our valleys. So argali saved people from death.